Your Adolescent Street Fighters Ch. 17
By Silvercane

Over the next three weeks, Ryu trained with the aid of Chun Li. Everything was going well amongst the two friends and they became closer. Chun Li found that she could really confide in him and she also felt a sense of security and trust in him that she rarely felt with any other male figure in her life. There was her father, who made her feel safe, loved and warm.

After he died, Sifu Gen was like her surrogate father. He did what he could do to make sure Chun Li would grow up like the other children who had parents. Once, he even hesitantly, agreed to participate in a father/daughter talent show at school when Chun Li ran to the dojo crying.

Last, but not least, there was Fei Long, who was the equivalent of an over-protective older brother. He was her si-hing and best friend- someone who she could share her friend, boys, and school problems with.

So, having a natural ease and comfort around Ryu was such a wonderful feeling. He was so honest and understanding. He definitely acted more mature than his age. He, however, was clueless and could not be more unaware of Chun Li’s need to be around him.

“This time, I’ll hold it lower”, said Chun Li as she held the punching pouch. Ryu did low roundhouses and punches until he wore himself out and stood up. Chun Li tossed him a water bottle and they sat down on the park bench. It was late evening, the wind was chilly but the atmosphere was fantastic.

“So, Ryu, how many times have you been in America?”, asked Chun Li, striking up conversation.

“Twice, so far, but never this long”

“Do you like it here?”

“It’s quite different from my village in Japan…it’s too noisy” “Yeah,…I’ve been to Japan”, mentioned Chun Li as she leaned back on the bench.

“I know”, answered Ryu.

“How do you know?” she asked curiously.

“Well, the other day, I realized that the reason you looked so familiar was because we had previously met…when you and your father came to my village, a long while ago. Your father was a detective, if I’m not mistaken, and he was investigating something. You had gotten lost and I found you crying by a tree. I brought you back to the dojo, where Sensei contacted your father.”

Chun Li remembered. She was about 4 or 5 and he was about 7 or 8. She remembered being so scared and alone until the kind-hearted boy rescued her and how hospitable Master Gouken was. Then she remembered why they were there. Bison had been believed to have used the village dock as a trading post for weapon, ammunition, drugs, and counterfeit money. She remembered how her father’s swat team swarmed in on their secret trading and then…guns fired off. Large machine guns blasted every which way. Bison’ men were killing her father’s men. She remembered watching it from a police boat far from the shooting. Then there was a loud explosion and Bison had disappeared with most of his men, leaving her father to search for him for two more years until he met his fate when Bison ordered someone to kill him. Chun Li got up and kicked hard at a tree trunk, causing the leaves to rain down on her. She kicked again, harder, feeling that that was the only way to release her anger. She kicked and kicked, as if it were a punching bag, just thinking about Bison and nothing else. She blocked out her surroundings, including Ryu, and just kept kicking and punching with all her might- pretending it was treacherous Bison.

Ryu watched with concern. At first, he thought she was just practicing- until she became more violent and began kicking and punching faster and harder.

“Uuuuh!” Chun Li whimpered in pain and held her ribs, which were already broken from before and now agitated from her fast swinging punches.

“Chun Li!” Ryu ran to her aid. Chun Li was bent over, with her arms clutching her ribs in agony, as she cried and coughed from pain and memories. Ryu lightly wrapped his arms around her shoulders and gently led her to the bench.

When they sat down, Chun Li stopped crying and stared at the ground. Ryu took both her hands, that were wrapped around her, and held them in front of him. Her knuckles and finger joints were soaked in blood. They were scraped badly from punching the tree insanely. Ryu looked up at Chun Li sadly and she was still staring blankly at the ground. Ryu took his water bottle and poured it on her hands- cleansing the blood off. Ryu softly apologized as Chun Li winced from the stinging. He ripped his small towel in two and wrapped each around her hands. This would hold her until he could properly bandage them up. He did all this in silence- not knowing what to say. He had never seen Chun Li like this. She tilted her head towards him, but not daring to look at his face, she mumbled a ‘thank you’ and held her ribs again, looking only at the ground. She missed her father so much. She sat and shivered when a cold night breeze blew by. Ryu, still not uttering a word, wrapped one arm around her shoulders and she slid deep into his comfort. She felt secure again. She closed her eyes for a moment and saw Bison’s face grinning. She shot open her eyes and suggested they leave. Ryu kept his arm around her as they walked. He didn’t dare ask what had happened. She obviously had some emotional problems and if she trusted him, she would tell him when she was ready.

Chun Li kept her head on his shoulder. She was sad and sooo embarrassed. ‘What did I do?’ She asked herself. ‘He thinks I’m insane!’

Ryu took her back to Ken’s place- Ken was out with Guy and Dan. He disinfected and bandaged her hands. Chun Li, thank God, was back to her old self again (at least a bit). She had to get back to the school before the gates closed at 9pm and it was already 8:45pm. Ryu wouldn’t let her go by herself, even though she assured him she was capable of going back to the dorm alone. As they walked, it started to rain hard. Chun Li loved the rain and playfully pushed Ryu into a puddle. Ryu smiled confusingly as he watched Chun Li giggle and run up ahead. She definitely had the weirdest moods. Ken warned him about female mood changes.

He ran after her and they kept running until they made it to the gate, which the guard was slowly closing. Ryu stopped and waited for Chun Li to run in but she spun around and ran back towards him. She hugged him, smiled and said “good night”. As fast as she could, she ran through the gate and past the guard. She turned around and waved one last time, still getting soaked in the rain. “Oh my God! How am I going to explain what happened to him tomorrow?”